Tamil Nadu 12th Standard English Book Answers | In Celebration of Being Alive

12th English : In Celebration of Being Alive

Unit 3.1 > In Celebration of Being Alive

Warm Up

There are several physically-challenged people who have lived successful and meaningful lives. Here are a few personalities who have fought great odds and lived a life of blazing achievements. Let’s share what we know about each of them and complete the table below

Glossary

• consideration – careful thought
• prevalent – predominant
• cripples – people with some disability preventing them from performing certain normal functions
• agony – extreme physical and mental suffering
• perforated – torn and damaged with holes
• ennobles – (figurative use) makes dignified, morally noble
• thrash around (idiom) – to move about restlessly
• sophisticated – (here) well-advanced
• mutilating surgery – surgery involving removal of tissue even at the risk of worsening of the patient’s condition
• Grand Prix – (here) one of several international motor-racing events
• solace – comfort or consolation in times of grief or pain
• intrepid – bold and daring
• finale – climax or an exciting end
• disfigured – spoiled or marred in appearance
• malignant – (here, of diseases) very harmful to life
• amputated – cut off by surgical operation
• profound – very great
• tumour – diseased growth in some part of the body

1. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences based on your understanding of the lesson

a. What thoughts troubled Dr. Christiaan Barnard as he neared the end of his career as a heart surgeon?

Dr. Christiaan Bernard thought about the suffering of the people and it troubled him as he neared the end of his career as a heart surgeon.

b. What were Dr. Barnard’s feelings when he was hospitalized after an accident?

When he was hospitalized after the accident he experienced agony, fear and anger. He questioned himself why that had happened to him.

c. When and where did the accident occur?

The accident had happened a few years ago. When he was crossing a street with his wife, a car knocked him down.

d. How did the hospitalization of Dr. Barnard and his wife affect their routine?

Dr. Barnard could not do the scheduled surgery and he and his wife could not look after their young baby.

e. How was Dr. Barnard’s attitude to suffering different from that of his father?

Dr. Barnard was angry at his suffering but his father would take it as God’s test on a person. Such incident would improve a person to become better.

f. How was the unattended trolley put to use?

Two little boys, one blind and another crippled pushed the unattended trolley for fun.

g. What roles did the duo take up?

The two boys took the roles of driver and mechanic. The blind boy was the mechanic and the boy with one arm was the driver.

2. Answer the following questions in three or four sentences.

a. Detail the statistics Dr. Barnard has provided in his speech.

To prove that suffering is prevalent in this world he gives the following statistics. Out of 125 million children born this year, 12 million are unlikely to reach the age of one and another six million will die before the age of five.

b. What happened when the doctor couple were crossing the street?

While the doctor couple were crossing the street after a lovely meal together, a car hit him and knocked him into his wife. She was thrown into the other lane and struck by a car coming from the opposite direction.

c. What injuries did they sustain in the accident?

He had eleven broken ribs and a perforated lung. His wife had a badly fractured shoulder.

d. Dr. Barnard couldn’t find any nobility in suffering. Why?

As a doctor Dr. Barnard saw every day patients’ suffering to move about in sweat-soaked bed. He could not find any nobility in the crying of a lonely child in a ward at night.

e. Why does Dr. Barnard find suffering of children heartbreaking?

Dr. Barnard has always found the suffering of children particularly heartbreaking because of their total trust in doctors and nurses. They believe they will be helped by them. If they are not cured, they accept their fate. They do not make any complaint.

f. How did the boy who played the mechanic lose his eyesight?

The mechanic was a seven year old boy. One day his mother flung a lantern at his father in anger. Unfortunately the lantern missed its mark and broke on the boy’s head, resulting in the third degree burns, and loss of eyesight.

g. Why does Dr. Barnard describe the blind boy as a ‘walking horror’?

Because of the boy’s mother’s mistake the boy became blind. He was a walking horror because he was walking with a disfigured face and long flap of skin hanging from the side of his neck to his body.

h. What were the problems the trolley driver suffered from?

The trolley driver had a hole in his heart and it was closed by Dr. Barnard. The boy came back to the hospital with a malignant tumour of the bone. A few days before the trolley incident, his shoulder and arm were amputated.

3. Answer the following in a paragraph of 100- 150 words each.

a. Give an account of the medical problems for which the two boys were hospitalized.

He suffered severe third-degree burns on the upper part of his body, and lost both his eyes.
A few days before the race, the other boy’s shoulder and arm were amputated.

Dr. Christiaan Barnard, a South African surgeon, designed artificial heart valves, and wrote extensively on the subject. In this essay Dr. Barnard has ruminated on why people suffer. One day Dr. Barnard had witnessed what he called a “Grand Prix”. Two boys, a driver, and a mechanic drove the hospital’s breakfast trolley. The blind mechanic provided the motor power, and the driver steered with one arm. The other patients joined in the fun and frolic till the plates were scattered. The mechanic was a seven year old boy. His mother flung a lantern at his father. The lantern missed its mark and broke on the boy’s head, resulting in the third degree burns, and loss of eyesight. At that time of Grand Prix, he was a sight to look at. The driver had only one arm. He had been earlier operated upon by Dr. Barnard for a hole in his heart. He was in the hospital now, for a malignant tumour of the bone. His shoulder and arm had been amputated. There was little hope of his recovery.

Inscrutable are the ways of God.
As a butterfly is to the wanton boy, so are we to God.

b. “These two children had given me a profound lesson …” Elucidate.

The business of living is joy in the real sense of the word,
not just something for pleasure, amusement, recreation.

Dr. Christiaan Barnard, a South African surgeon, designed artificial heart valves, and wrote extensively on the subject. In this essay Dr. Barnard has ruminated on why people suffer. Dr. Barnard had a distorted view of suffering. But the two children taught a profound lesson to Dr. Barnard. In spite of being disabled, they provided a lot of entertainment to the patients of the hospital. He learnt that suffering is necessary, and being alive is important. He also learnt that the business of living is the celebration of being alive. Dr. Barnard has come to understand that the experience of suffering makes a person a better one. One can’t appreciate light if one has not known darkness. Similarly warmth can be appreciated if one has experienced biting cold. The two children have shown Dr. Barnard that what you have been left with is more important than what you have lost.

These children showed me that it’s not what you’ve lost that’s important.
What is important is what you have left.

c. Describe the ‘Grand Prix’ at Cape Town’s Red Cross Children’s Hospital.

The choice of roles was easy because the mechanic was totally blind
and the driver had only one arm.

Dr. Christiaan Barnard, a South African surgeon, designed artificial heart valves, and wrote extensively on the subject. In this essay Dr. Barnard has ruminated on why people suffer. One morning a nurse had left a breakfast trolley unattended. And very soon this trolley was seized by two fearless boys – a driver and a mechanic. The mechanic provided motor power by galloping along behind the trolley with his head down, while the driver, seated on the mower deck, held on with one hand and steered by rubbing his foot on the floor. The choice of roles was easy because the mechanic was totally blind and the driver had only one arm. They put on quite a show that day. Judging by the laughter and shouts of encouragement from the rest of the patients, it was a much better entertainment than anything anyone puts on at the Indianapolis 500 car race. There was a grand finale of scattered plates and silverware before the nurse and ward sister caught up with them, scolded them and put them back to bed.

It opened my eyes to the fact that I was missing something in all my thinking about
suffering – something basic that was full of solace for me.

d. How did a casual incident in a hospital help Dr. Barnard perceive a new dimension of life?

You don’t become a better person because you are suffering;
but you become a better person because you have experienced suffering.

Dr. Christiaan Barnard, a South African surgeon, designed artificial heart valves, and wrote extensively on the subject. In this essay Dr. Barnard has ruminated on why people suffer. The two boys – one blind and another one with one arm – played with an unattended trolley. It was a casual incident in any hospital. But it changed Dr. Barnard’s view on life. It taught him a new dimension of life. Dr. Barnard had a distorted view of suffering. In spite of being disabled, the boys provided a lot of entertainment to the patients of the hospital. He learnt that suffering is necessary, and being alive is important. He also learnt that the business of living is the celebration of being alive. Dr. Barnard has come to understand that the experience of suffering makes a person a better one. One can’t appreciate light if one has not known darkness. Similarly warmth can be appreciated if one has experienced biting cold. The two children have shown Dr. Barnard that what you have been left with is more important than what you have lost.

The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched.
They must be felt with the heart.

e. Life is unjust and cruel to certain people. Do they all resign themselves to their fate? Can you think of some who have fought their disabilities heroically and remained a stellar example for others? (for e.g. the astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, a paraplegic). Give an account of one such person and his/her struggle to live a fruitful life.

Stephen William Hawkings was born on 8th January 1942 (exactly 300 years after the death of Galileo) in Oxford, England. His parents’ house was in North London but during the Second World War Oxford was considered a safer place to have babies. When he was eight his family moved to St. Albans, a town about 20 miles north of London. At the age of eleven, Stephen went to St. Albans School and then on to University College, Oxford (1952) Stephen William Hawking (1942 – 2018) was the former Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and author of ‘A Brief History of Time’ which is an international bestseller. He was the Dennis Stanton Avery and Sally Tsui Wong-Avery Director of Research at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics and Founder of the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at Cambridge. His other books for the general reader include A Brief History of Time, the essay collection Black Holes and Baby Universe and The Universe in a Nutshell.

In 1963, Hawkings contracted motor neurone and was given two years to live. Yet he went on to Cambridge to become a brilliant researcher and Professorial Fellow at Gonville and Caius College. From 1979 to 2009 he held the post of Lucasian Professor at Cambridge, the chair held by Isaac Newton in 1663. Professor Hawking received over a dozen honorary degrees and was awarded the CBE in 1982. He was a fellow of the Royal Society and a member of the US National Academy of Science. Stephen Hawking is regarded as one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists since Einstein.

Vocabulary

a) Go through the lesson and spot the words which mean the same as the following.

1. profession (para 1) – career
2. sorrowful (para 2) – gloomy
3. decency (para 5) – nobility
4. destiny (para 6) – fate
5. hijacked (para 8) – commandeered
6. motivation (para 9) – encouragement
7. serious (para 10) – severe
8. significant (para 13) – important

b) Go through the lesson and spot the words opposite to the meaning of the following.

1. rare (para 1) – prevalent
2. primitive (para 6) – sophisticated
3. fiction (para 7) – fact
4. fearful (para 8) – intrepid
5. benign (para 11) – malignant
6. diffidence (para 11) – hope
7. boredom (para 12) – pleasure
8. criticize (para 13) – appreciate

c) Frame illustrative sentences to distinguish the meaning of the words in the following clusters.

1. career – carrier – courier

1. We should be careful in choosing our career.
2. My cycle has a carrier behind the seat.
3. I sent the parcel through courier.

2. patients – patience – patents

1. Nurses look after the patients.
2. Gita is known for her patience.
3. Scientists get patents before they create something new.

3. accident – incident – incidence

1. My friend met with an accident.
2. The roads were sealed off because of some major incident.
3. There’s still a high incidence of Malaria in the area.

4. scraping – scrapping – scrubbing

1. The scrapings of the apples cut are found on the table.
2. There is talk of scrapping the age limit altogether.
3. The floor needs scrubbing

5. accept – except – expect

1. She accepts the new post.
2. Everybody attended the class except Sundar.
3. We expect to get the results on Monday.

6. lesson – lessen – liaison

1. We should be thorough with the lesson before the exam.
2. This medicine will lessen the pain.
3. There is a close liaison between the army and the police.

7. severe – sever – sewer

1. Radha suffers from severe stomach ache.
2. The trunk of the tree was severed by the woodcutter.
3. The sewer is under repair.

8. raise – rise – rice

1. David raised his hands to join the competition.
2. The sun rises in the east.
3. Rice is the staple food of South Indians.

9. quiet – quite – quit

1. The teacher asked the students to keep quiet.
2. I saw quite a big snake.
3. He decided to quit the job.

10. final – finale – feline

1. The painter was giving the final touch.
2. The competitors were getting ready for the finale.
3. She moves with a feline grace.

d) Fill in the blanks with the words given in brackets.

1. Theatrical plays were a main source of __________ before the advent of television.

Ans ; amusement

2. The _________ warriors of the Spartan Army marched into battle against a powerful enemy.

Ans ; intrepid

3. The _________ of parents finally came to an end when their lost child was found with the help of police.

Ans ; agony

4. Social media has brought about a ________ impact on the lives of millennials.

Ans ; profound

5. The tyres of the car got _______ when the vehicle rolled over the rusted nails scattered on the road.

Ans ; perforated

6. Thomas Alva Edison did not lose his __________, even after facing a series of experimental failures in his quest to discover tungsten.

Ans ; confidence

7. Many victims of the pipeline explosion in an oil refinery were left permanently ___________ .

Ans ; disfigured

8. The old lady found ________ in the company of the children in the neighbourhood.

Ans ; solace

e) Form a phrase with each of the following pairs of nouns given below.

1. fibre + tissue – fibrous tissue
2. muscle + pain – muscular pain
3. skeleton + system – skeletal system
4. nerve + disorder – nervous disorder
5. digestion + enzymes – digestive enzymes
6. surgery + instruments – surgical instruments
7. agony + experience – agonizing experience
8. glory + victory – glorious victory
9. fancy + idea – fanciful idea
10. emotion + song – emotional song
11. sense + issue – sensitive issue

f) Fill the empty boxes with suitable words under each word class.

g) Spot the errors in the following sentences and rewrite them correctly.

1. My grandfather is well-known in the village for his nobel deeds.

My grandfather is well known in the village for his noble deeds.

2. I had my evening meals in a restaurant near my office.

I had my evening meal in a restaurant near my office.

3. The Boss had full confidence on his Manager for successful completion of the project.

The Boss had full confidence in his Manager for the successful completion of the project.

4. After the complicated surgery, the patient hoped of complete recovery.

After the complicated surgery the patient hoped for complete recovery.

5. The new health care scheme announced by the Government will bring relief to the children suffering with acute tuberculosis.

The new health care scheme announced by the Government will bring relief to the children suffering from acute tuberculosis.

6. In spite of his poverty and setbacks, he was able to launch his dream carrier.

In spite of his poverty and setbacks, he was able to launch his dream career.

Listening

Listen to the passage being read out. Based on your understanding, complete the statements given below with appropriate answers.

1. Boredom occurs when a person is unable to ———————–

Ans ; stay attentive.

2. ————and ———- are emotional consequences of boredom.

Ans ; Mental fatigue and slowing down of thought process

3. Two physical signs of acute boredom are

1. drooping of eyelids
2. face assuming a frown

4. How does boredom affect the quality of work a person does?

A bored person at work is likely to make many more errors than one who is not bored.

5. Mention two ways by which one can overcome boredom.

1. Set goals for yourself and work towards them.
2. Develop an interest in hobbies and crafts.

Speaking

1. You are rushing to attend to an important work and you witness an accident on your way. Will you go to the rescue of the injured person? Share your views with the class.

Sure, I will go to rescue the injured person. My work may be important for me but the life of a person is more important than any work. When someone meets with an accident he stands helpless by himself. This is the time he needs others’ help. Even to transport him to close by hospital he needs some other’s help. When we see some situation like this, being a human being we should go to help such people. In an accident, time is very important to save the affected people. So I will surely go to rescue the injured person.

2. Every person should take up the responsibility to serve the society in his or her own way. Discuss the various ways in which you can serve the society.

10 Ideas for helping your society

Volunteer your time and effort with one or more of these community service ideas.

1. Reach out to a neighbour in need.

Every neighborhood has people or families in need, from elderly or shut-ins to struggling singleparent households.

2. Perform an act of random kindness.

Buy healthy snacks for your office or the teachers at your child’s school. Pay the tolls for several people behind you. Give an umbrella to someone stuck in the pouring rain. Learn more ideas here: Random Acts of Kindness Foundation

3. Mentor children at your local school library, or neighbourhood center.

All organizations that deal with children need adults of any age to work with the children in a variety of ways, from after-school tutoring to recreational and sports activities.

4. Serve at a local soup kitchen or food bank.

There is no greater gift than helping feed those in your community who are down on their luck and would go hungry if not for the service provided to them.

5. Donate blood.

You can help save the life of one or more people simply by giving a pint of your blood at your local blood bank or during bloodmobile visits to your community, school, or office. (And if you can’t give blood, help organize a blood drive for those you can donate!)

6. Volunteer at the local animal shelter, rescue group, or humane society.

The animals are part of our communities too, and many of these shelters and rescue organizations need much help to achieve their mission.

7. Visit a volunteering-related Website to find multiple opportunities to serve.

One of the greatest benefits of the Internet is the amount of Websites that can help connect people with local organizations that desperately need help.

8. Pick up trash along the road, at a local park, or along the banks of a river, stream, or lake.

Many times there are organized efforts to clean some of these locations, but there is nothing stopping any of us from picking up litter when we see it. And smokers? Put the butt in the trash, not on the ground.

9. Help build a home with Habitat for Humanity.

Working with Habitat not only literally builds the community, but also helps welcome a needy family who would not have a home without the help from people in the community. No building skills are necessary to volunteer.

10. Contact your local United Way, Red Cross, or Salvation Army for discovering new service opportunities.

These and other local aid organizations are clearing houses for many opportunities to serve in your local community, making a difference in the lives of your neighbors.

Helping people in your community makes that community stronger and healthier — and makes you stronger and healthier in the process. Performing community service is a very worthy endeavor that helps bring neighbors and others together, helping us all see the bigger picture of life we often miss in living our daily lives. Finally, an added benefit of volunteering is the new people you’ll meet, the new connections you’ll make. By helping better others, you may end up bettering yourself in ways you never imagined. You may also learn new skills and obtain additional training — all of which could help you discover a new career or find a better job. Dialogue

a) Pair work: Practise the dialogue with another student. Then write a similar dialogue between a student and the class teacher regarding an educational trip.

Class teacher : Sundar, I am planning to take our class students on an educational trip.

Student : Oh! Wonderful! Where madam?

Class teacher : That’s what I am thinking about. Do you have any suggestion?

Student : I have one or two places in my mind. It depends on the duration of the trip.

Class teacher : Maximum we can spend two days. I got permission from the principal only for two days.

Student : I think we can go to Madurai and Kodaikanal.

Class teacher : Why these two places?

Student : Madam, in Madurai we can see many historical places including the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple. The next day we can go to Kodaikanal and get lot of information about garden.

Class teacher : Where can we stay?

Student : Surely in Kodaikanal.

Class teacher : Then I will inform other students and see how they receive this idea.

b) Build a conversation for the following situations with a minimum of five exchanges.

1. A passenger and a railway staff regarding the cancellation of the reserved tickets.

Passenger : Sir, what should I do to cancel my reserved tickets?

Railway staff : When do you want to travel and where?

Passenger : Tomorrow to Chennai.

Railway staff : You will lose 30% of the fare.

Passenger : Ok sir, how to cancel that?

Railway staff : Did you book online or get the ticket from the counter?

Passenger : I got it from the counter

Railway staff : Then ok. Fill the form and give it to me.

Passenger : Is it the form sir?

Railway staff : Yes, fill it and give it to me.

2. Two friends about the NSS camp which they are going to attend.

Sukanya : Are you getting ready for the NSS camp?

Ramya : Yesterday only I got permission from my father.

Sukanya : I too had some problem to get permission but somehow I got it.

Ramya : As it is a 10 day programme, our mother was a little anxious.

Sukanya : Ok. Let us talk about our preparation.

Ramya : First day we are working near the temple. It will be very interesting.

Sukanya : Third day I will be in charge of food.

Ramya : I will also join you.

Sukanya : Thank you. It will be very interesting.

Ramya : I have to complete my packing. See you tomorrow.

3. A salesman and a customer at an electronic shop.

Salesman : Yes sir, what can I do for you?

Customer : The CD player in my lap has some problem.

Salesman : Do you have your lap with you now?

Customer : Yes I have. Here it is.

Salesman : Let me check it. We can’t use it.

Customer : Do you have a new one?

Salesman : Yes I have.

Customer : Shall I see that?

Salesman : Do you want to keep it inside or do you want one to fix outside?

Customer : I want to have it inside.

Salesman : You can select it.

4. A father and his daughter about the advantages of the habit of newspaper reading.

Father : My dear, get today’s news paper from the portico.

Daughter : Here it is. Why dad everyday morning your life starts with the newspaper?

Father : Yes dear, this is a way to know what is happening around us.

Daughter : TV news can also give it to us.

Father : Newspaper will give the news and the views of many people like activists, scientists and the reporters.

Daughter : Does it make any difference dad?

Father : Yes of course. Editor’s column gives the view of that newspaper. Many columnists write article on economy, education, science and so on.

Daughter : Oh, it is very informative to talk to you.

Father : If you are interested to read the newspapers there are items for your age group.

Daughter : Surely I will do it father.

c) Extend the conversation with two more relevant exchanges.

1. Receptionist : Good evening, sir. Welcome to Chennai.

Traveller : I would like to book a deluxe room in your hotel for 3 days.

Receptionist : Single room or double room?

Traveller : Double room though I am single.

Receptionist : Sir, give me your ID card.

Traveller : Here it is.

2. Student : Good morning, sir. May I come in?

Teacher : Good morning, why are you late today?

Student : Sir, I missed my school bus.

Teacher : How did you miss it?

Student : Sorry sir, my uncle came home from US. So I started a little late from home.

Teacher : OK. Hereafter no excuses.

Reading

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.

Humans have long been fascinated by fiction. We experience excitement in assigning supernatural power to imaginary characters in fictional stories – and so we have Spider man, Batman, He–man, Titans and many more. The ‘Cyborg’ was an offshoot of such wild imagination of humans to invest our species with superhuman powers. Today, the Cyborg is no more an imaginary organism. We are living in a world where a sizeable population of humans have merged their bodies with technological implants. The term ‘Cyborg’, short for ‘cybernetic organism’, was coined to describe a man, whose body is implanted with technological devices to supplement and substitute body functions.

Cyborgs include people with cardiac pacemakers, contact lenses, bionic ears and eyes, prosthetics and so on. In other words, a cyborg is partly human and partly machine. The technological innovations in the field of medicine and healthcare augment humans with machines, producing a beta version of the human body. The advent of brain machine interfaces is certain to blur the boundary between humans and machines. Scientists are working hard to find a technique for age reversal too. People do not want to die, so mankind is striving to get to the final frontier, which is development of machines and devices that would accord man immortality.

The needs of humans are not limited. As time passes, food habits change, thinking patterns change, and even appearances change. We are about to travel by driverless, fully automated vehicles. Computers and smart phones have become our masters. The more we depend and merge with technological advancements, the more the humanness in us slowly erodes. Intelligence is sought to be infused into machines and robotics are designed in such a way to give man a virtual human companion. The field of artificial intelligence is overtaking the human brain and many fear that it could even harm the human race. Despite certain limitations and potential threats, many believe that cyborgs will be the next step in the evolution of mankind. The amalgamation of man and machine is sure to add a new dimension to the life of mankind and this will prove to be the ‘biggest evolution in Biology’ since the emergence of life, four billion years ago

a) Account for the popularity of characters with supernatural powers.

We experience excitement when we read about the supernatural powers. Many characters are assigned with supernatural powers.

b) Who is referred to as a ‘Cyborg’?

The term ‘Cyborg’ refers to a person whose body is implanted with technological devices to supplement and substitute body function.

c) What is expected to happen with the advent of the brain machine interface?

The advent of the brain machine interface will reduce the boundary between humans and machines.

d) The needs of humans are not limited. How is this statement elaborated in the passage?

As time passes, food habits change, thinking patterns change, and even appearances change.

e) How can a machine turn into a virtual companion for humans?

When intelligence is infused into machines it will turn into a virtual human companion for humans.

f) Explain the flipside of the rapid technological advancement.

The field of artificial intelligence is overtaking the human brain and many fear that it could harm the human race.

g) Identify the word in para 1 which means ‘everlasting life’.

Immortality.

h) Which of the following words is synonymous with ‘amalgamation’?

1. recreation
2. integration
3. exploration
4. proposition

Ans : integration

i) Which of the following options is the antonym of the word ‘advent’?

1. drawback
2. dispute
3. departure
4. danger

Ans : departure

j) Find out the word which is the antonym of ‘natural’ in para 2.

Machine

Grammar

Active and Passive Voice

Task 1

Change the following sentences into Passive Voice.

a) The Governor inaugurated the exhibition at ten o’ clock.

The exhibition was inaugurated by the Governor at ten o’ clock.

b) The crowd expected their leader to arrive early in the morning.

Their leader was expected by the crowd to arrive early in the morning.

c) Who taught her Computer Science?

By whom was she taught Computer Science?

d) They unanimously named Ravi the captain of team.

Ravi was named the captain of the team by them unanimously.

e) The President gave the commander an award.

The commander was given an award by the President.
An award was given (to) the commander by the President.

f) Do not tell a lie.

Let a lie not be told.

g) Please open the door.

You are requested to open the door.

h) It is time to stop the work.

It is time for the work to be stopped.

i) They say he is a spy.

It is said that he is a spy.

j) One should keep one’s promise.

Promise should be kept.

k) People burn a great deal of wood in winter.

A great deal of wood is burnt by people in winter.

l) Where had you kept the book?

Where had the book been kept by you?

m) When did you feel the tremors? Page 78

When were the tremors felt by you?

n) How did you do the experiment?

How was the experiment done by you?

o) Whose car did someone park in front of your gate?

Whose car was parked in front of your gate?

Task 2

Change the following sentences into Active Voice.

a) The smuggler has been nabbed by the police.

The police had nabbed the smuggler.

b) By whom were you interviewed?

Who interviewed you?

c) Why were you scolded by your parents?

Why did your parents scold you?

d) Not a word was spoken by the convict in self–defence.

The convict did not speak a word in self-defence.

e) Good news is expected shortly.

People expect good news shortly.

f) The mail has just been received.

He has just received the mail.

g) Sundari has been taken to hospital by her husband.

Sundari’s husband has taken her to hospital.

h) Our television is being repaired now.

Someone is repairing our television now.

i) Sweets have not been distributed to children by the organisers.

The organisers have not distributed sweets to children.

j) Prizes were being given by the chief guest.

The chief guest was giving prizes.

k) Nobody has been seen in the library this week.

He has not seen anybody in the library this week.

l) Nobody would have known the truth if you had not disclosed it.

(This is active voice. The passive voice is given below)

If the truth had not been disclosed by you it would not have been known to anybody.

m) You are advised to help the poor and needy.

Help the poor and needy.

n) You are requested to make a cup of tea for the guest.

Please make a cup of tea for the guest.

Interrogations or Questions

Task 1

Add suitable question tags to the following sentences and punctuate properly.

1. The children are very happy today.

The children are very happy today, aren’t they?

2. You have not returned my books yet.

You have not returned my books yet, have you?

3. We enjoyed the trip very much.

We enjoyed the trip very much, didn’t we?

4. Let’s clean the shelves this weekend.

Let’s clean the shelves this weekend, shall we?

5. My mother rarely travels by bus.

My mother rarely travels by bus, does she?

6. Somebody must bell the cat.

Somebody must bell the cat, mustn’t they?

7. Anita never comes late to office.

Anita never comes late to office, does she?

8. I am always the winner.

I am always the winner, aren’t I?

9. Don’t commit this mistake again.

Don’t commit this mistake again, will you?

10. There is a pharmacy near that bus stand.

There is a pharmacy near that bus stand, isn’t there?

11. Bacteria can never survive in extreme weather conditions.

Bacteria can never survive in extreme weather condition, can they?

12. I am not as smart as you are.

I am not as smart as you are, am I?

13. The boys broke the window pane last evening.

The boys broke the window pane last evening, didn’t they?

14. Leaves wither during autumn.

Leaves wither during autumn, don’t they?

15. You should add a little salt to the buttermilk.

You should add a little salt to the buttermilk, shouldn’t you?

Task 2

Correct the error found in the question tag in each of the following. 

1. The evil doers cannot cross the path of truth, can’t they? – can they?
2. The vegetables in the fridge are still fresh, aren’t it? – aren’t they?
3. The village head understood the intention of the politician, doesn’t he? – didn’t he?
4. I claim to be a person of faith and prayer, aren’t I? – don’t I?
5. The employees are seldom allowed to meet their boss, aren’t they? – are they?
6. Let’s organize a trip to Goa, can we? – shall we?
7. The landlady will charge me for the damage, shan’t she? – won’t she?
8. Both the sisters have left for Canada, aren’t they? – haven’t they?
9. That’s definitely not the right thing to do in this situation, isn’t that? – is it?
10. We needn’t apply for a bank loan, do we? – need we?
11. The Chief Guest spoke a few words, did he? – didn’t he?
12. The rhinoceros has a horn made of keratin, haven’t they? – hasn’t it?

Writing

Task 1

Expand the following outlines into complete stories and supply a suitable title for each.

1. Big cotton merchant – owned a factory – many employees – one day a heap of cotton stolen – no clue – merchant’s secretary assured to find out – asked him to host dinner – invite all workers – merchant agreed – middle of feast – secretary suddenly shouted – cotton sticking to hair of thieves – the guilty dusted their heads – tried to clear – caught in the trap – punished.

A Clever Plan

Once there lived a cotton merchant. He was a very rich man having a big factory. Many employees were working there. Most of them were very loyal to the owner. They were paid well. But few of them were not very happy with their financial condition. Anyway the work was moving smoothly.

One day it was found that a heap of cotton was stolen. It was difficult to say who the culprit was. The owner did not know what to do. He almost came to think that it was not possible to get the culprit. But it was clear that some of the workers must have stolen the cotton.

The merchant’s secretary was a clever man. He was thinking of many plans to find out the culprit. Suddenly a plan struck him. He asked the merchant to host a dinner for all the workers. The merchant agreed and all the workers were invited to the dinner. At the scheduled time all the workers came and they started eating the rich food arranged by the merchant.

In the middle of the feast the secretary shouted that the cotton was sticking to the hair of the thieves. All the workers were looking around except few of them. A few of the workers slowly tried to dust their head. They thought they could clear their heads before anyone noticed them. But the watchful secretary was careful to see all of them. So they were caught and punished.

2. Mr. X, a rich businessman – runs a company – always very busy with office work – one day his son – 10 years old – approaches dad and asks – how much he earns in one hour – father gets furious – boy persuades – father says Rs. 500 – immediately son asks for Rs. 300 – father shouts – wasting money on toys – son leaves to his room crying – father feels bad – thinks might need some stationery – enters boy’s room and gives money – boy becomes happy – takes some crumpled notes – under his pillow – counts everything together – total Rs.500 – gives it to dad – wants to buy – one hour of his time – father realizes his mistake – feels sorry and guilty – hugs son – closes all office files – takes him on a picnic – decides to spend more time with near and dear ones.

Love is greater than money

There was a rich businessman Mr. X. He had a big company and spent most of his time for its development and earning money. He thought his only purpose of living was to earn money for himself and for his family. He had a 10 year old son. One day his son came to him and asked him a surprising question. He asked him how much he earned in one hour. The businessman was very angry to hear such a question from a 10 year old boy. The boy asked again and again so he said that he earned Rs.500 per hour

The boy asked him to give him Rs.300. The father thought that the boy was asking the money to buy some useless things like toys. He did not want his son to waste money like that. So he shouted at him. The boy was very sorry to get the shouting from his father and went to his room crying.

After sometime the father felt sorry for having shouted at his son. He entered the boy’s room and gave him money thinking that it would make him happy. The boy after receiving the money took some more crumpled notes which he had kept under his pillow. He counted the money and found that he had Rs.500. He went to his father and gave him the money. His father was wondering what the boy was up to.

The boy told him that he wanted to buy his one hour so that he could spend the time with him. The father was puzzled. He realised his mistake of not giving time to his family. He felt sorry and guilty. He hugged his son, closed his office files and took him on a picnic. He decided to spend more time with his near and dear ones.

Task 2

Continue and complete the following stories and suggest suitable titles for the same. 

1. The Rich and The Poor

A rich man had a neighbour who was suffering from acute poverty. The rich man was proud of his wealth and treated his poor neighbour with disrespect and derision. One day, a fortuneteller told the rich man that all his wealth would be possessed by his neighbour within a month. The rich man became greatly worried and spent sleepless nights. He did not know how to safeguard his wealth round the clock. Suddenly he thought of a plan. He disposed of everything he had and with all that money, he bought a large, precious diamond. He sewed up the diamond in his turban. He proudly said to himself, “Now, there’s no way. My poor neighbour can never secure my wealth. The words of the fortune-teller will prove false.”…………………….

The rich man was walking around happily with the diamond in his turban. The poor man was suffering without enough food. But he was not much worried about his plight. The rich man’s turban attracted the attention of many people. They talked about the size and the way the turban was worn. Some people made some insulting comments also. For a few days he did not mind anything about the comment. One day he was passing by the poor man. At that time another villager told the rich man that a lizard was sitting on his turban. He raised his hand above the turban and pushed down the lizard. When he saw the lizard on the ground he was happy and walked away. But without his knowledge the diamond fell near the poor man who took it without knowing the value of it and kept it in his house. When the old man reached his house he realised that the diamond was missing. He had no idea where it had fallen. He was worried about the loss but he could not reveal it to anyone. Thus he lost all his wealth to the poor man.

2. Importance of Debit Card

Four friends decided to go to a restaurant for dinner. They ordered an extra-large pizza with grated cheese and other choice toppings. The next 20 minutes seemed to be too long a time. Their eyes widened and their mouth watered, when the server brought the steaming hot pizza and placed it on the table. They could barely control the drool. Simultaneously, all the four hands pulled at a slice from the plate, their faces beaming with a victorious grin. Silence prevailed as they were absorbed in the taste of their favourite food. They relished every mouthful to the core and savoured the taste of each topping with a smile of approval. Soon, the plate was empty and clean with no trace. The boys dabbed their mouths and wiped their hands with tissues. Mission accomplished, they leaned back with immense joy and satisfaction not knowing, it would be short-lived. The waiter arrived with the bill. Joseph, who had brought the others to the restaurant for a treat casually slipped his hand into his pocket to get his wallet. He gave a soft shriek accompanied by an expression of dismay and utter disbelief. He exclaimed, “It’s not there! Someone has pinched my wallet! What are we to do now?”…………..

Others could only laugh at Joseph. Whatever was the case, Joseph was the one to find out the way for this. But others also had the responsibilities to offer some help to him. Sunder was the one to react first. He asked for the suggestions from others. But two of them should not control their laughter to think about the mental tight corner. Irfan suggested that they should pool the money they had. Joseph assured them that he would accept it as a loan and pay them as soon as he went home. One by one came forward to put in what they had. Unfortunately after counting the money they found out it was not enough. Joseph thought that he could take the money directly to the manager and request him for two hours to pay the remaining money. As he was walking towards the manager’s counter with a gloomy face, suddenly he remembered that he had kept the debit card in his shirt pocket. He felt his life came back to him. He immediately gave the debit card at the counter and finished the matter. The other friends congratulated him on saving the situation.

UTHIRA is an event conducted by the NSS unit of ABC Hr Sec School. Imagine you are a volunteer and help a parent fill in the following registration form. (Invent necessary details)

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